Exploring the paths, trails, rivers, and places of Colorado and beyond

How to use this blog

What it’s all about

I have two web sites. This site at “www.orrn.wordpress.com”, is being used to keep a running commentary of my activities by date. So, as an example, if I go on a hike one weekend, I may post the details (the “article” so to speak) of the trip on this blog the following weekend. That said, I’ve got quite a few trips taken in the past. So, there will be entries in this blog for trips that occurred one or more years ago. But, the mountains don’t change too quickly, so the photos should remain relevant.

My other website? See next paragraph.

Are there more photos?

Note that the actual photo galleries are located on my other web site (www.geoffw.smugmug.com). Each trip will have it’s own gallery consisting of many more photos, and of much higher quality/size, than what is shown at this blog. In the detailed description of the trip (which will be located here on my wordpress site), I will have links to the specific photo gallery that holds all the pictures. I will also (usually) include several small images of the trip’s photos in each article as samples of the entire gallery. However, clicking on the image will NOT take you to the gallery. Use the link to the actual photo gallery contained in the article in order to open up a new window containing all the higher quality and larger photos trip.

How to quickly locate hikes and other trips

On the right hand side of this web site you will see some links under the “Pages of Information” section. Certain of those pages (such as “Trails in Colorado”, etc.) will contain a list of the trips. Each trip entry will include a perma link back to the original complete description of the trip, a link to the full photo gallery for the trip at my Smugmug site, a link to a Google Earth location, and a link to a topo map for the trip. Pretty nice : )

Quick location map of all trips

This link will take you to a Google Earth map that shows all the trips that have been both taken and documented. You may need to use the scale slider on the right side of the map in order to see all the trips. They show up as little green bubbles. If you click on one, a description will come up that should be an indicator of the trip itself. The bubble will also contain a picture from the trip. If you click on the picture, you will be taken to the photo gallery for that trip. Yes, Google does rock.

Learning to use my Smugmug photo galleries

If you have not viewed photos on Smugmug before, please take a little time when you first visit one of my galleries to learn the various ways of viewing photos. You can view “all thumbs”, or by “slide show” (at various sizes), or by “Journal” style (so, the photos can be quickly viewed along with the descriptions), etc. It all depends on the “style” you select (from a drop down list at the top of the window) and what size picture you tell the site you wish to view (small, medium, or large). For quickly running through a gallery and being able to see the description next to each photo, I would recommend trying the “Journal” style.

– Geoff Weatherford

Like this:

Geoff,
I’ve been checking out your pictures and hikes and both seem amazing. I am going to be moving to Walden, CO this summer to become the new High School Social Studies teacher. I would love to have some recommendations of day hikes and 3-7 day hikes around the area. I am an avid backpacker and love photography as well. In fact my friends and i hiked the flat tops wilderness 3 years ago and loved it. I am also looking to get into fly fishing when i move out there is summer. If you would be interested in meeting up and going on a hike and sharing some tips on the area sometime this summer i would be very ecstatic. From your pictures it seems like you have quite a bit of knowledge and passion for the area.
Thanks for your time,
-Pete

All my hikes in the Zirkels and other areas around Walden have been one day hikes. So, any of them should work for you. The majority of them could be extended into multi-day hikes. Hiking the length of the Zirkel Wilderness area would be a perfect 5 day (or so) hike.

The lower valleys will be open and green during June. The upper alpine hiking “should” be open and hikable by around July 4 (give or take a week; depends on how much snow we get and could be a little later this year due to some big storms that we had come through recently and dump a bunch of snow in the mountains).

If you review all my blog posts, you should be able to see where the hikes were taken. They all should have a link to a map. In addition, if you go to my galleries at http://www.geoffw.smugmug.com there is a button called “Map This” at the top left corner of the page. Clicking on that will bring up a Google map that you can zoom in on to see all my hikes. It should take you to this link:http://maps.smugmug.com/?feedType=geoUser&Data=geoffw

Let me know when you are settled in Walden and I’ll try and hook up with you on one of my visits/hikes to the area.

Hey Geoff,
Just got your reply to my post. I’ve been here a couple of weeks and have fell in love with the place. The only hikes that i have done so far have been one nighters. The first was to Kelly Lake which was one of the most beautiful lakes i have ever been to. 6 miles all up hile but well worth it, how grand it was to finally see the lake. The second trip i took was to Big Creek Lakes. I camped out on the upper lake and fished the stream in between the two lakes. It was a fantastic view from the camp site and the fishing wasn’t half bad either. Theres so many hikes out here i have trouble picking which one should be next. If your coming out this way for a hike give me a ring at 970 556 4964. I’m game for all types of hikes. Thanks for the response.

Hi, Pete. I ended up not taking many hikes in North Park as I thought I would. And, when I did take a hike, it was spur of the minute and I hadn’t any idea where I was going until I got there : ) If you have not already done so, you might want to hit the National Forest Service headquarters in town and talk to them about the different areas. Pretty friendly and knowledgeable people.

Ask them about Rainbow Lake trail. And the Katherine Lake trail. Both really nice day hikes. And both have trails that you can keep on going until you hit the continental divide (and beyond). So, easy to go as far as you want.

Wow, it’s almost the end of summer. Hmmm. Guess that means that you will be teaching pretty soon : )